Hart district board selects two junior high heads to take over for retiring high school leaders

Members of the William S. Hart Union High School District board voted Wednesday night to tab two current junior high school principals to lead Valencia High School and West Ranch High School, beginning this summer.

Rio Norte Junior High School Principal John Costanzo will take the helm at Valencia High School, and Sierra Vista Junior High School Principal Mark Crawford will take over at West Ranch High School.

Costanzo will replace Paul Priesz at Valencia and Crawford will replace Bob Vincent at West Ranch. Both Priesz and Vincent announced their plans to retire earlier this year.

Costanzo has served as the principal at Rio Norte since 2007.

“It’s the fulfillment of a dream to be able to be a principal at a high school,” Costanzo said Wednesday.

Costanzo said it will also give him the opportunity to reunite with some of his old students and families at the high school level, since Rio Norte is Valencia’s feeder junior high school.

“It’s twice as big as a junior high, so it’ll keep me twice as busy,” Costanzo said with a smile.

Prior to Rio Norte, Costanzo was an assistant principal at West Ranch from 2004 to 2007 and at Saugus High School from 1998 to 2004, according to the Hart district.

Crawford has served as principal at Sierra Vista since 2009.

“I’m very excited,” Crawford said Wednesday. “It’s an incredible school, there are great students, there’s a great staff and administration team. I can’t wait to get started.”

Before becoming principal at Sierra Vista, Crawford served as an assistant principal at Hart High School from 2003 to 2009. He was previously a teacher and coach at Hart from 1998 to 2003, according to the Hart district.

“I’m leaving a great school at Sierra Vista, but I’m excited to move forward with this new opportunity,” Crawford said.

Both Costanzo and Crawford will start in their new positions on July 1.